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Man Indicted For 1999 Murder Of High School Senior Found Dead Behind A Shopping Mall
Bruce Cymanski has been indicted for the first-degree murder of Nancy Noga, whose frozen body was discovered in a wooded area behind what was then a mini-mall in Sayreville.
A man has been indicted for the decades-old cold case murder of a New Jersey teenager who was found killed behind a mall.
A grand jury indicted Bruce A. Cymanski, 49, of Barnegat on Tuesday for the 1999 murder and sexual assault of 17-year-old Nancy Noga, the Middlesex County Prosector’s Office stated in a Tuesday press release.
Noga, a high school senior from Sayreville, was reported missing on Jan. 7 after she did not return home from her job at the former craft chain Rag Shop. Her frozen body was discovered five days later in a wooded area behind what was then a mini-mall and shopping plaza in Sayreville. She was wearing a purple Arizona jacket and black and white platform sneakers when her body was discovered, according to MyCentralJersey.com. Her backpack was found with her body.
“An autopsy later determined Noga died from blunt force trauma after being struck with a blunt object,” the prosecutor's office said. “For more than two decades, the case remained open and active as investigators continued to investigate Ms. Noga’s death.”
Cymanski has been indicted for first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping, and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
A joint investigation conducted by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and Sayreville Police Department led to the arrest. They worked with Chief Genetic Genealogist of Parabon NanoLabs CeCe Moore to help identity Cymasnki. He was identified partially with the use of genetic genealogy conducted by Moore.
“In the decades since Nancy Noga’s death, law enforcement has relentlessly pursued justice on her behalf. The advancement of modern scientific tools has allowed that endeavor to enter a new chapter,” Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said in the press release.
Noga’s friends described her as outgoing, friendly and helpful, according to MyCentralJersey.com. She had plans to enter the military after high school then attend college, they said.
"We never stopped following up on leads, and today with the arrest of Bruce Cymanski, we are one step closer to bringing a degree of justice and closure to the family," Chief John Zebrowski of the Sayreville Police Department said.
